News
Go up a hill to support Kerry families
By Sean Moriarty
A local nurse is calling for people to go up a hill to raise funds for 11 families in Kerry who have children with severe to profound medical needs.
Siobhan Reen is the Jack and Jill Liaison Nurse Manager for Kerry. The national charity – now in its 25th year – provides specialist in-home nursing care and respite support for children with severe to profound neurodevelopmental delay, up to the age of six.
This includes children who may have a brain injury, cerebral palsy, a genetic diagnosis or other undiagnosed condition.
Another key part of the service is end-of-life care at home for all children up to the age of six who require it, irrespective of diagnosis.
Every day can be an uphill challenge for Jack and Jill families and, this October, the charity is urging people to climb or walk a local hill in solidarity with the 11 Kerry families currently under its care as part of the eighth annual Up the Hill for Jack and Jill fundraising challenge.
“It’s a privilege to be a part of the lives of Jack and Jill families," Siobhan said.
"These are ordinary parents facing the extraordinary care needs of a child with a complex medical condition; a child who may not be able to walk or talk, who may be tube-fed or oxygen-dependent, requiring intensive, around-the-clock care, at home. But everyone needs a break, and that’s where we come in, literally, into the home, to give them relief and we are very proud to walk this care journey with them."
With Jack and Jill, there is no means test, no waiting list and no unnecessary red tape. The core nursing team devises a home nursing care plan that is tailored around the child and the family’s needs, with the charity funding and providing up to 80 hours’ support each month.
For more information on Up the Hill for Jack and Jill 2022, visit www.jackandjill.ie or telephone Jack and Jill at 045 894538.
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